Ira Lee (“Ike”) Sorkin, the lawyer for perhaps the most reviled white collar criminal in recent history, has changed law firms.

Sorkin, who defended fraudster Bernie Madoff, has left Dickstein Shapiro for Lowenstein Sandler, bringing with him securities litigator Donald Corbett and three other lawyers.

“We are excited to welcome such a talented team of litigators to Lowenstein Sandler,” said Lowenstein Sandler Managing Director Gary Wingens. “White collar defense and capital markets litigation are core practices for our firm, and the addition of Ike, Don and their group reflects the firm's strategy of accelerating growth in those important areas.

Sorkin told the New York Law Journal the move represented “a unique opportunity for myself and my group that I could not pass up.”

A number of law firms, notes the Journal, are building their white-collar practices as the result of increased enforcement by the SEC and DOJ.

Sorkin has worked both sides of the fence, having spent part of his career at the Securities Exchange Commission where, as New York regional director, he was in charge of oversight for Wall Street. Later, in private practice, he was involved in high-profile cases like Madoff’s, and that of Enron’s Robert Furst.

Lowenstein Sandler employs about 250 attorneys in offices in New York, Palo Alto and Roseland.